Goodbye Parent Judgement, Hello Adorable Live Grenade

This guest post comes from a very brave mom who shared her feelings with me and they were too good not to share with everyone else.   This mom chose to remain anonymous, but she is only voicing what many of us with a “spirited” toddler feel.

My husband & I used to talk so smugly about what we would be like as parents.

We thought it was so lame and unnecessary that other people changed every single thing about their lives to be kid-oriented and kid-friendly.

We said we’d still go to foodie restaurants and museums and on long walks around the neighborhood.  We’d visit our childless friends late in the evening in their tiny, spotless white apartments in the city, and just bring the kids with us.

We’d never order an overpriced, under nutritious kid’s meal; I would just let the kids eat off my plate of organic, super-healthy adult food.

Then fate was like, “Well, you get Jack, so good luck with all that!”

If we’re not constantly channeling his outrageous energy into an acceptable activity, he’ll find something to destroy.

Or stain.

Or get into.

Or overturn.

He can’t stay still.

He can’t help but to touch.

He will eat nothing.

All of the parents I ever judged should be laughing their exhausted butts off at me.  They knew better when I thought and said “we’ll never do that”.

Bringing Jack someplace is like bringing a live grenade, only it has fifty legs and arms that are constantly flailing around.

Goodbye, tiny spotless apartments of grown up friends.

Goodbye, museums.

Goodbye, quiet foodie restaurants.

Goodbye, smug pre-child notions of parenting!

Hello, adorable live grenade that I could spend a thousand hours snuggling and still want more.

Hello, tiny maniacal laugh that I can never tire of hearing.

Hello, living a very different life than I would have dreamed.

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